The tantrums? Nope. The snuggles? Sure. But you’ll know that when you see it. — Imagine this: a toddler melts down in the middle of a grocery aisle. The toddler’s mother is taking deep breaths, staying as calm as she can, wrestling her screaming child back into the cart while silently praying that no one will notice. But of course someone does notice, and it’s…

Here’s what you might have done to anger your digestive system while it’s working for two. — You ate greasy sausage-topped pizza for dinner. You ate any kind of food for dinner. You drank a carbonated beverage after 2 pm. You drank a caffeinated beverage after 6 am. You drank any kind of beverage other than water at any time of the day that was not thirty-seven…

We could all be doing one small thing to make public worship more accessible. Why, then, have we let it slide? — As the first frightened days of the pandemic fade in memory, COVID-19 fatigue has pushed physical precautions from our collective consciousness. Where Christians ought to be leading the quest for better public health measures to protect us all — as we mark the third anniversary of a virus not yet…

On the loss of youthful freedom and the gaining of adult inhibition. Also, the boring reality of sugarplums. — Once upon a time, I was a pantser. Oh, it’s not what you’re thinking. Believe me. Any reference to “once upon a time” as it relates to my own life has no salacious undertones; I had an extremely sheltered, conservative upbringing. I didn’t even WEAR pants (skirts only!) until I…

A few extra ideas beyond the tired old ginger-and-carbohydrates mantra. — A quick google search of “ways to combat pregnancy nausea” will turn up a tried-and-true list that includes eating small meals, taking your vitamins on time, drinking ginger tea, chewing saltine crackers, and asking your provider about baby-safe medication. These are all great ideas, but you’ve probably heard them before…

An expert weighs in — Sit on the toilet before bath time and refuse to pee, then get in the bathtub and immediately pee. It’s always fun to learn about the element of surprise! Peel formica off the kitchen counters. Your parents will be delighted at this money-saving form of sensory play, since they already…

What’s the difference between a goal and a resolution? — “You know how you look up one actor from a show to see how old they are, and then 45 minutes later you find yourself six Wikipedia pages deep in the biography of everyone who’s ever appeared on that show?” I said to my sister recently. I was driving and…

How to decipher your inferiors’ confusing shorthand. — If your underlings ask for hazard pay during a hurricane or a pandemic or whatever the trendy complaint is these days, what they really want is a pizza party (after closing time on a Friday, once everyone is off the clock). If they mention a holiday bonus, what they would…